1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscopic form detection device including an endoscope configured to be inserted into a body cavity and a form detecting method of an inserting section of the endoscope.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, an endoscopic form detection device that can detect a form of an inserting section of an endoscope has been put to practical use. Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2000-175862 discloses an endoscope insertion form detection device including source coils disposed to an inserting section of an endoscope configured to be inserted into a body cavity. In this endoscope insertion form detection device, positions of the respective source coils are detected by a sense coil provided outside a body. Further, based on the detected positions of the source coils, a form of the inserting section of the endoscope is detected.
Further, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2007-130175 discloses an endoscopic form detection device that configured to detect a position of each coil arranged in an inserting section of an endoscope from an alternating-current magnetic field and to perform curve interpolation with respect to a portion between the detected positions of the respective coils. In this endoscopic form detection device, the detected positions of the respective coils are connected through a Bezier curve or a spline curve to effect the curve interpolation. Performing the curve interpolation enables detecting a curve form of the inserting section of the endoscope.